Takashi to Mariko
by Puff the Ninja
Summary: Shiro recalls when he first met Mariko as well as the precious moments they shared together growing up. **Rated T just to be safe**
1. It's a Girl

****Author's note:** Hello and welcome to _Takashi to Mariko_. To anyone new, Mariko (or Mari) is my OC for the VLD fandom and she's Shiro's little sister. I am currently writing a fanfiction for her, and if you're interested feel free to check out the stories I've already written for her (you might want to because this fic will make some references to the series I'm writing). Mari's profile is also on my profile is you want to take a look at it.

I'm still working on _Fights and Flights_ , but I've just been a bit too busy with schoolwork (and a damn ant problem .) to work on it lately. I promise I'm working on the next chapter, but to hold you over until then, I started this little fic. It'll most likely have 10 (or so) chapters, and timeline wise, it'll end with Shiro's disappearance from the Kerberos mission.

**I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender!**

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It was a warm and sunny April morning: the sky was a lovely light blue, the lush green was returning to the grass, and dozens of sakura petals were scattered in the wind. It was the perfect day to play outside or to have a picnic lunch with Ojiisan and his delicious egg rolls. But _nooooo_ , Takashi was stuck in his grandfather's car and they were on their way to the hospital so they could meet the newest addition to the Shirogane family.

Takashi slumped in his seat and leaned his head against the window in defeat. He stared up at the baby-blue colored skies and scowled at them in dismay, once again reminded that his parents had completely ignored his request. He could distinctly remember asking his mother that sweltering day in late August to make his new sibling be a boy. She had smiled and ruffled his hair, replying with a vague, "I'll try, but I make no promises."

He'd been a good boy, he didn't ask for much. So why did he get a baby sister instead?

Taking a quick glance at his pouty grandson in the rearview mirror, Ojiisan smiled in mild amusement. "There's no need to look so dour, Takashi. Today is a special day, isn't it?"

Takashi grumbled something incomprehensible in reply and his scowl deepened. Ojiisan chuckled and continued, "Come now, don't be that way. You need to make a good first impression on Mariko-chan."

Mariko. That was the name his parents had decided to give _her_. Takashi's face scrunched up at the sound of it, and he muttered, "I don't wanna impress her. She's just a dumb girl anyways."

"Takashi…" Ojiisan began, but his grandson cut him off.

"I don't want a sister, ojiisan!" the eight-year-old insisted. "Why couldn't mommy give me a brother instead?"

"She couldn't really control this sort of thing, Takashi."

"But she said she'd try!" he exclaimed exasperatedly. "Mommy lied to me. I don't want stupid Mariko for a sister, I want a brother."

He crossed his arms indignantly over his chest and Ojiisan sighed as they pulled into the hospital parking lot. "Now, now, give Mariko-chan a chance," he chided. "Maybe you'll really like her."

"Nuh-uh! I already hate her!"

"You haven't even met her yet," Ojiisan said as he brought the car to a stop and turned off the engine. "And you can't really hate anyone without having met them, now can you?"

But Takashi was adamant. He despised Mariko and wanted nothing to do with her unless she miraculously turned into a boy. He refused to be convinced otherwise, and with his arms crossed and a hostile scowl plastered across his face, he sulked behind his grandfather as they entered the hospital, and he stayed that way until they reached his mother's room.

"Well, good morning Mister Grumpy Grump," she teased upon seeing her son's sour demeanor. When he said nothing in response she prodded, "What, are you not going to say hello to your own mother?"

"Hi mommy. Hi daddy," Takashi grumbled, his expression softening a bit as he met his parents' gazes. His father was lounging in one of the chairs next to the hospital bed, and his mother was pale, tiredly reclining against the fluffy pillows on her bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm exhausted," his mother laughed bitterly. "And still in a bit of pain."

"Your sister is one stubborn girl," his father nodded. "Took nearly twelve hours to push her out."

At the sound of the words 'sister' and 'girl' Takashi frowned and he immediately glanced around the room for the little pest. There was an incubation crib next to the wall and he stared it down in dismay. But despite the contempt he harbored towards Mariko, he couldn't help but feel curious as to what she looked like. He shuffled over to the crib, his parents and grandfather watching him closely, and he pressed his face against the glass to sneer at the creature inside.

Wrapped in a soft white blanket was his dozing baby sister, completely unaware of the hostile aura being emitted from the other side of the glass. She was tiny, pudgy, and pink, and she lacked the signature dark eyelashes and eyebrows that ran in the Shirogane family. Even with the downy tufts of black hair sticking out from underneath her cap, she still looked almost like a naked rat, and Takashi nearly laughed out loud at this realization.

"Do you want to hold her?" his father asked, coming to stand next to him.

"Ew, no! She looks weird," Takashi grimaced and the adults couldn't help but laugh.

"Not any weirder than you looked when you were born," his father noted and Takashi cringed at the thought.

"Come on now. Sit down," his mother urged, gesturing to the empty hospital bed adjacent from her own. "I want to see you hold her."

"Ew! No!"

" _Takashi_ …" she warned, her voice tight, and he stiffened. He knew better not to disobey her when she used that tone and he huffed in annoyance before complying. He plopped onto the bed and leaned back into the pillows, watching with dread as his father gingerly removed Mariko from her crib and held her out towards him.

"Support her head, Takashi," he murmured as he carefully shifted the newborn into his son's awaiting arms. "And be very gentle with her."

Mariko was heavier than Takashi had expected. He glowered down at her pinched and pink features again, adjusting his hold ever so slightly to get a better grip on her. Suddenly, she started to move and Takashi looked to his parents for help, but they made no effort to take the squirming baby away from him.

 _Stay asleep, stay asleep_ , Takashi pleaded silently. The last thing he wanted was for her to wake up and start crying. Baby screams were always so annoying to him.

But to his horror, Mariko yawned, revealing shiny pink gums and a tiny tongue, and her eyes slowly opened. It took her a few seconds to pry them open all the way, but when they finally focused on Takashi, his heart nearly stopped. Eyes so much like his own gazed back at him, wide and curious. They were intense, a dark gray like his yet they seemed to sparkle a million times brighter, like twinkling stars against the night sky.

They stared at one other for a moment longer, Takashi frozen in fear of what she'd do next. But to his surprise and complete wonder, Mariko smiled, an action that completely illuminated up her face. She was full of innocence and glee and playfulness, and seeing her like this—beaming up at him with that sweet smile and those brilliant eyes of hers—made Takashi's heart melt. He couldn't bring himself to hate her, not when she was like this. Mariko was adorable, beautiful in every way (even though she still looked kinda weird). She wasn't the little brother Takashi had requested, but he promised to love her and protect her all the same.

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**Please feel free to leave a comment/review down below! They're always appreciated and I'll do my best to respond to them :D


	2. Patience Yields Focus

**I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender or the song in this chapter!**

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When Takashi had been born, he had been one of the calmest babies ever. He hardly cried, he was a good sleeper and eater, and he was easy to please, much to his parents relief. Little Mariko, however, was unfortunately not like that.

She was a screamer and a cryer with a pair of strong and healthy lungs, and her shrill shrieks went off like an alarm every other hour of the night, waking up the entire house in mere seconds. She wouldn't breastfeed for the first few weeks of life, and when she finally took up the practice, she ended up being a biter. And sometimes, Mariko would just wail for hours on end for seemingly no reason and no amount of comforting could hush her. She was temperamental and stubborn and difficult to satisfy, and Mrs. Shirogane was getting on her last nerves.

She had nothing but good experiences with Takashi when he was born; she didn't know how to handle such a fickle baby like Mariko. The lack of sleep and the stress of motherhood were slowly building up and beginning to crush her, and she felt like she was going to snap at the worst moment. So, a few months after Mariko's birth, it was agreed that she would take a weekend trip while the boys stayed behind to take care of the baby.

The whole first day that Mrs. Shirogane was gone, Mariko had been perfectly fine, content even. She had no problem drinking her mother's milk from the bottle, she took a nice nap, and she even enjoyed her first taste of baby food. But of course, that night just had to be one of those long nights when she just sobbed and sobbed, keeping the entire house awake until she finally passed out from exhaustion. But it was a long ways until that point, and all the Shirogane boys could do was try to find a way to calm her.

"Mariko-chaaaaannnnn," Takashi pleaded desperately over the noise. "Please stop crying, I'm _begging_ you!"

They were entering the second hour of Mariko's temper tantrum and Mr. Shirogane was tiredly cradled her, soothingly rocking her back and forth in an attempt to console her. But his efforts were of no avail as she just continued to screech.

Takashi buried his head in one of the couch pillows, but it did little to muffle the high pitched din. Mariko just wouldn't shut up and it was driving him crazy! No wonder his mother wanted to escape for the weekend. He should've asked her to take him with her.

"Daaaaaadd, how are you _not_ going insane?" he groaned, over dramatically writhing on the couch. "She's gonna blow out my eardrums!"

His father sighed but didn't cease in his rocking. Placing a gentle hand on his son's head, Takashi immediately stopped squirming and unburied his head from the pillow to peer up at his father.

"Takashi, sometimes the solution to a problem isn't crystal clear," he said, his voice a bit raised so he could be heard over Mariko's screams. "And since failure isn't an option, we must continue to seek out the best course of action. Remember, patience yields focus."

"Patience yields focus?" Takashi repeated slowly, taking a minute for the meaning of the phrase to settle in. "Patience yields focus…"

"We have two choices, Takashi," he father nodded. "We can continue letting Mariko cry until she tires herself out, but I'd say she can keep this up for another three more hours."

That would bring them to 2 AM, Takashi realized, and he grimaced at the thought. "And the other choice?"

"We can be patient and run through all of our go-to calming techniques again to try and get her to quiet down."

"And if those don't work?"

"Then we find a new method that does."

They duo tried the pacifier and the bottle first, only to have Mariko smack both items away. Her diaper was clean and she was changed into warm and cozy clothes but she still continued to howl. She rejected her favorite rattle and the offer of mushed bananas, nearly dumping the glop on poor Takashi's head. Her father tried wrapping her in her favorite blanket and gently carded his hands through her soft hair, singing softly as he rocked her back and forth in a soothing motion, but that only seemed to make her even more uncomfortable and she squirmed and shrieked even louder.

"Dad, this isn't working," Takashi huffed, frustratedly burying his head back into the pillow and Mr. Shirogane couldn't help but laugh.

"Mariko's just like your mother," he chuckled. "Stubborn as a bull and just as loud. She even hates my singing."

"She doesn't hate it," Takashi tried to reassure his father. "She probably just can't hear you over her own screams."

Mr. Shirogane smiled tiredly. "Here, why don't you try singing her something," he suggested.

"M-me?" Takashi stammered, taken aback by his proposal. "N-no, I can't."

"Why not? We haven't tried it yet. Besides, you have a much better singing voice than I do. Maybe Mariko will listen to you."

"Are…you sure?" Takashi asked uncertainly. "What if I just make things worse?"

His father shrugged. "We'll never know unless you try."

Takashi grimaced and hugged the pillow to his chest. He had never sung for Mariko before. What was he supposed to sing? He couldn't think of any good lullabies, not with her incessant squealing ringing in his ears.

 _Patience yields focus._

His father's advice resurfaced and Takashi screwed his eyes shut as he began to repeat the mantra over and over again inside his head.

 _Patience yields focus, Takashi. Patience. Yields. Focus. Patience yields focus, patience yields focus, patience yields focus. PATIENCE. YIELDS. FOCUS._

Like flicking of a light switch, the perfect song popped into his head and Takashi's eyes flew open in surprise. It was a melody that he'd caught Ojiisan murmuring to Mariko a few times just as she had been on the verge of throwing a fit. But despite his gravelly pitch and being off key, Ojiisan had managed to calm her with the song every time, saving the others from a potentially unstoppable temper tantrum.

But Mariko was in full-blown hysterics by now. If Takashi sang the song to her now, would she even listen? There was only one way to find out.

Sliding off the couch, Takashi moved to stand in front of the rocking chair. He peered down at his little sister, taking in her scrunched up features and her reddened and tear-streaked face. Steeling himself, he gently began to caress the top of her head, her downy baby hair soft and fluffy to the touch. Then taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and opened his mouth, softly singing the lyrics from Ojiisan's song:

 _Somewhere, a voice calls, in the depths of my heart_

 _May I always be dreaming, the dreams that move my heart_

 _So many tears of sadness, uncountable through and through_

 _I know on the other side of them I'll find you_

 _Every time we fall down to the ground we look up to the blue sky above_

 _We wake to it's blueness, as for the first time_

 _Though the road is long and lonely and the end far away, out of sight_

 _I can with these two arms embrace the light_

 _As I bid farewell my heart stops, in tenderness I feel_

 _My silent empty body begins to listen to what is real_

 _The wonder of living, the wonder of dying_

 _The wind, town, and flowers, we all dance one unity_

 _Somewhere a voice calls in the depths of my heart_

 _keep dreaming your dreams, don't ever let them part_

 _Why speak of all your sadness or of life's painful woes_

 _Instead let the same lips sing a gentle song for you_

 _The whispering voice, we never want to forget,_

 _in each passing memory always there to guide you_

 _When a mirror has been broken, shattered pieces scattered on the ground_

 _Glimpses of new life, reflected all around_

 _Window of beginning, stillness, new light of the dawn_

 _Let my silent, empty body be filled and reborn_

 _No need to search outside, nor sail across the sea_

 _Cause here shining inside me, it's right here inside me_

 _I've found a brightness, it's always with me_

 **-OR-**

 _Yondeiru Mune no Dokoka Okude_

 _Itsumo Kokoro Odoru Yume wo Mitai_

 _Kanashimi wa Kazoekirenai kedo_

 _Sono Mukou de Kitto Anata ni Aeru_

 _Kurikaesu Ayamachi no Sonotabi Hito wa_

 _Tada Aoi Sora no Aosa wo Shiru  
_

 _Hateshinaku Michi wa Tsuzuite Mieru keredo_

 _Kono Ryoute wa Hikari wo Dakeru_

 _Sayonara no Toki no Shizukana Mune_

 _Zero ni Naru Karada ga Mimi wo Sumaseru_

 _Ikiteiru Fushigi Sinde Iku Fusigi_

 _Hana mo Kaze mo Machi mo Minna Onaji_

 _Yondeiru Mune no Dokoka Oku de_

 _Itsumo Nando demo Yume wo Egakou_

 _Kanashimi no Kazu wo Iitsukusu yori_

 _Onaji Kuchibiru de Sotto Utaou_

 _Tojiteiku Omoide no Sono Naka ni Itsumo_

 _Wasure takunai Sasayaki wo Kiku_

 _Konagona ni Kudakareta Kagami no Ue nimo_

 _Atarashii Keshiki ga Utsusareru_

 _Hajimari no Asa Shizuka na Mado_

 _Zero ni Naru Karada Mitasarete Yuke_

 _Umi no Kanata niwa Mou Sagasanai_

 _Kagayaku Mono wa Itsumo Koko ni_

 _Watashi no Naka ni Mitsukerareta Kara_

It wasn't until he finished did Takashi realize how quiet the room had become. The awful cries that had pierced the air just minutes ago had gone completely silent, and he cautiously pried open his eyes to see what had happened. Mariko was curled up in their father's arms, her breathing even and peaceful. She had been lulled to sleep by her older brother's voice and kind touch, and Takashi could only blink at her in surprise.

Mr. Shirogane sighed in relief and ran a hand through his hair. "Finally," he breathed, his voice barely above a whisper. "Thank goodness."

"D-Did she really really fall asleep because of my singing?" Takashi wondered aloud in shock, careful to speak softly as well. "She didn't just exhaust herself?"

"She stopped crying before you were even halfway through the song," his father chuckled in response.

"I…I did it!" Takashi beamed, swelling with pride. It felt like he had just defeated the final boss of a video game. "I really did it!"

"See what happens when you're patient?" his father nodded. "It allowed you to focus and you were able to find a solution to our problem. Can I count on you to sing that song again if need be in the future?"

"Yeah!" Takashi nodded vigorously and his father smiled.

"You're a good boy, Takashi," he said, playfully ruffling his son's hair. "Continue to be a good older brother for Mariko too, okay?"

"Okay!"

"Really though. I'm surprised that actually worked," Mr. Shirogane admitted. "When did you learn that song, Takashi?"

"I've heard Ojiisan sing it a few times before," he replied sheepishly, feeling embarrassed all of a sudden. "Mariko really seems to like it."

"Her and Ojiisan both, it seems," his father mused. "He used to sing that to me all the time too when I was young. I can't believe he used a song from an old movie as my first lullaby."

Takashi giggled before yawning softly, prompting his father to check his watch. "It's nearly midnight," he murmured tiredly. "Mariko should be down for the rest of the night. Let's go to sleep, Takashi."

His son nodded sluggishly in agreement before following his father upstairs. They tucked Mariko in her crib, Takashi kissing her lovingly on the forehead before retiring to his own bed. Burrowing deep underneath the covers, he sighed happily. He'd have to teach his little sister that song someday. Maybe then, when she was all grown up, she could sing it to comfort her own children. Imagining Mariko all grown up—and being a mother, no less—made him frown and he quickly shook the thought from his head. She was a long, _long_ way from that stage of life, and he didn't want to think about the day Mariko wouldn't need her older brother to take care of her anymore. For now, he'd simply be content with singing her lullabies.

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 ****Author's note:** So I included both the Japanese and English versions of the song in this chapter because I couldn't decide which language Shiro should sing in. So I'll just leave that up to your imagination xD The song is from the _Spirited Away_ movie and it's called "Always With Me" (Itsumo Nando Demo) by Yumi Kimora.

Also, please feel free to drop a comment/review down below! They're always appreciated and I'll do my best to reply to them :D


	3. Shiro

****Author's note:** 'Tis a snow day for me, but unfortunately I'm unable to edit and upload the next chapter of _Fights and Flights_ because I'll be using this free time to write a paper for school -_- Hopefully I'll be able to get out the next chapter sometime in the next two weeks when I'm on break, but we'll see. For now, here's another chapter of _Takashi to Mariko_.

 ****I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender!**

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Takashi liked reading to Mariko. Well, it wasn't so much as reading to her as it was her just sitting in his lap while she vigorously flipped through a children's picture book. And whenever he attempted to read the text out loud to her, she completely cut him off mid-sentence and then laughed at his reaction of mock-offense. Today though, he didn't have time to do any such thing with her. He was much too busy putting together his family tree project for his science class. His young, yet fickle teacher had insisted on her students doing things the "old-fashioned way", which meant pasting pictures onto poster board rather than creating a digital presentation to display on the projector screen.

Sitting underneath the kotatsu table in their grandfather's living room, Takashi was absorbed in carefully cutting out the photos of his relatives before gluing them to his stark-white card stock board. This part of the assignment was easy and wouldn't take too much longer since both of his parents were only children, and Ojiisan couldn't find any pictures of his great-grandparents. He really only had eight people to represent in his project: his grandparents on both sides of the family, his mom, his dad, himself, and the newest addition to the Shirogane family, Mariko.

Although, Takashi supposed she wasn't all that new to the family now. Her first birthday was in a few weeks, and he was amazed by how much she had grown in such a seemingly short amount of time. She had gotten bigger, mastered crawling, was crying less (thank goodness!), and she had learned how to walk…sort of. Mariko could only manage waddling around for a few steps before she fell on her butt and had to scramble to her feet again, but she was even progressing with that a fast rate. As for talking, she had yet to utter her first coherent word. She babbled a lot, spewing out a garbled mixture of English and Japanese sounds as she tried to copy his and their parent's dialogue. It was only a matter of time before she finally managed to say her first real word, and Takashi couldn't help but feel excited imagining what it would be.

 _It'll probably be 'mama' or 'dada'_ , he thought to himself as he pasted down the photos of his parents. _Or maybe some shorter version of 'ojiisan' or 'grandpa'? That would be kinda cool if it ended up being 'Takashi' or 'brother'."_

The thought of his baby sister trying to enunciate his full name made Takashi smile, and he proceeded to wrap up his work. Just as he finished writing 'SHIROGANE' across the top of the poster board, Mariko tottered into the room, having finished lunch with Ojiisan and was now free to do whatever she pleased as he washed the dishes. She fell on her butt once as she approached her brother, the tatami mats and her diaper cushioning her fall, but she quickly pushed herself onto her feet again and continued toward him. Placing her tiny and pudgy hands on the kotatsu table, she leaned on it for support as she curiously watched what Takashi was doing.

Moving the scissors and glue out of her reach, Takashi greeted her with a grin. That action alone caused a heart-melting smile to break out across Mariko's face and she began to bounce ever so slightly.

"What are you so excited about?" he chuckled and she simply cooed and giggled in response before smacking the poster twice with the palm of her hand.

"This is our family tree," Takashi went ahead and explained to her despite the fact that she probably had no clue what he was saying. He began to point to each picture on the board, saying, "These are mommy's parents and these are daddy's parents. Obaasan and ojiisan."

Recognizing the picture of Ojiisan—their father's father—Mariko beamed and smacked it eagerly. "Yep, that's Ojiisan," Takashi nodded. "I never got to meet mom's parents. They both passed away before we were born. And I don't even remember Obaasan. She died when I was your age."

Mariko seemed to pick up on his sudden sadness and she began to babble anxiously, a string of incomprehensible noises spilling from her mouth. She squealed and her eyes lit up when she saw the images of their parents, Takashi, and herself, and she patted the paper once again in delight.

"Yeah, that's mommy and daddy," her brother confirmed, pointing to them as well. "And that's me and that's you. Takashi and Mariko Shirogane."

"Sh…Shi…Shi…" Mariko struggled to echo the last word he'd said. "Sh…Shi…"

She looked to him desperately for help and Takashi tapped the the large 'SHIROGANE' he had written just minutes ago. "Shirogane," he said slowly. "Shi-ro-ga-ne."

"Shi…Shi…Shi…wo…Shiwo."

Takashi blinked in surprise, unsure if he had heard her correctly. "You—You just—You said 'Shiro'!" he exclaimed, utterly flabbergasted. "You said our name! Well, part of it anyways. I guess you also said white in Japanese. But Mariko, this is amazing! You said your first real word!"

He instantly gave her a congratulatory hug, and pecked her on the check. She was grinning from ear to ear, unsure of what she had accomplished exactly. But she liked the way Takashi was reacting so she just did it again.

"Shiwo…Shiwo," she repeated and he laughed.

"Okay, okay. Oh! Try to say my name now," he smiled earnestly. He pointed to himself and enunciated carefully, "Takashi. Ta-ka-shi."

"Shiwo," Mariko replied, innocently patting his arm.

"No, not Shiro, Mariko. Takashi."

"Shiwo."

"No, no. Takashi. Ta-ka-shi."

"…Shiwo."

"TA-KA-SHI."

"T-Ta…Ta…Shiwo."

"Shiro?"

"Shiwo."

Takashi sighed helplessly and Mariko beamed. "Okay, Miss Smarty Pants. If you insist on calling me 'Shiro' then I get to call you by the second half of our name," he teased. "So, how's it going, _Gane_?"

Mariko's face scrunched up in disapproval and she shook her head angrily, beginning to whine in distress. Before things could escalate into a full blown temper tantrum, Takashi quickly pet her head and shushed her gently, "Okay, okay. Don't cry, don't cry. I won't call you that. How about…'Mari' instead?'"

She seemed much more content with that suggestion. Patting his arm again, Mari happily agreed, "Shiwo."

"Fine. Shiro."

Takashi supposed he could let the new nickname slide for now. Mari still had a ways to go before she could finally say his or even her own name. He'd just have to live with being called Shiro until then. Besides, it was just silly substitute for 'Takashi'. There was no way he'd ever go by 'Shiro' again once she completely learned how to talk.

…Right?


	4. Reach for the Stars

**I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender!**

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The summer before his final year in middle school was a busy time for Takashi. While other kids his age were out and about engaging in mindless fun, he stayed in his room studying most days. All last year he had been thinking about what he wanted to do after high school—what he wanted to be, what career he aspired to have, what sort of college he should go to. Hundreds of conflicting ideas and possibilities had run through his mind, but none of them seemed quite right for him. That's when he began to notice his sister's developing obsession with space.

Mari completely devoured every astronomy book in the house and adored going to the city observatory. She ogled the starry night skies instead of going to bed, and she even got excited whenever airplanes passed overhead. She had asked their father once if there was any possible way they could take a family trip to the moon, and he had responded with an amused smile. Sadly, they couldn't take a vacation there, he had told her. But if she wanted to space travel so badly, he suggested that she study at the Galaxy Garrison, when she was old enough to go of course. And ever since then, Mari's sights had been set on one goal: get into the Garrison and go to outer space. More specifically, she wanted to enroll as a _pilot_ and then fly into space herself.

All of her talk and hype over interstellar travel and flight had peaked Takashi's interest to say the least. Having control of your own ship, getting to go on adventures to foreign places with your crew, making new discoveries about the universe, and soaring at incredible speeds past millions of brilliant stars…It all sounded so wondrous and captivating to Takashi. No matter how hard he tried to imagine himself in another career, his mind kept coming back to piloting. It was like some sort of otherworldly force was nudging him towards that path in life, like—like it was his _destiny_ or something. So at the end of seventh grade, it was decided: he wanted to go to the Galaxy Garrison and become a space exploration pilot.

He discussed his aspirations with his parents and they agreed to let him take the Garrison entrance exam on the condition that he finished high school first. So as soon as he'd been released on summer vacation, Takashi hit the books, already preparing himself for the next school year and even the one after that. He hoped he'd be able to take summer classes after eighth grade and during his high school years. If he was lucky, maybe he'd be able to skip a grade and graduate early. He just _had_ to get through his basic education as quickly as possible, and more than anything he had to make sure he'd be able to pass the Garrison's admissions test.

One Friday morning during early August, his father forced him out of the house for the day. He'd been cooped up in his room all summer and he needed sunlight, physical activity, and social interaction with friends. Takashi did as his father had asked, calling up a few friends and hanging out with them until the sun went down. It was fun and relaxing getting to catch up with his old pals, and Takashi felt a bit guilty for not spending his summer to the fullest with them. He silently promised himself to take more days off in the remaining weeks of their vacation.

After an intense pick-up game on the court in their neighborhood park, everyone parted ways and headed in for the night. Takashi was grimy and worn out as he walked back home, but he was the happiest he'd been all summer. He couldn't wait to get home and take a nice cool shower. Maybe afterwards he could snuggle with Mari and they could watch a movie together. He had been neglecting her too for most of the summer; she'd probably been so lonely with no one to play with, and a guilty knot formed in his stomach. Maybe they could get a cat or a dog or something so she wouldn't be alone while he studied.

Entering the house, Takashi shuffled upstairs only to be hit with the acrid smell of fresh paint and his face scrunched up unpleasantly. It was faint, but still noticeable even with the windows opened, and he wondered where the heck the odor was coming from. As if on cue, Mari's giggles emitted from her bedroom at the end of the hall. Her door was slightly ajar, revealing the room to be pitch black inside. Curious, Takashi peeked inside and turned on the lights, only to be surprised by the now illuminated scene before him. Mari's once bland white walls and ceiling had been freshly painted a pale purple hue; the furniture had been covered with sheets and the floors were protected by crinkly and paint-splattered tarps; and in the middle of it all, donned in saggy and purple-stained garments, were his father and his sister.

"Welcome home, Takashi," Mr. Shirogane casually greeted his son as he descended a step ladder, a palette and paintbrush in his hands. "How was your day of play?"

"Hi!" Mari waved, the Garrison baseball cap Ojiisan had given her for her fifth birthday several months ago going lopsided on her head.

"I-It was good," Takashi managed in response to his father's question, unable to take his eyes off the newly decorated walls. "Um…What have you guys been doing?"

"We painted my room!" Mari exclaimed, eagerly gesturing all around her.

"Yeah, I can see that," he said, regaining his composure. "Why though?"

"It was a father-daughter bonding activity," his father replied, carefully setting down his materials before readjusting the cap on his daughter's head. "Mari wanted to do something fun on my day off and we settled on this. It was a nice change of pace, I might add. I think the room looks much better this way."

"Does mom know you did this?"

Mari winced and grinned sheepishly. Their father didn't seem fazed in the slightest though and he gave Takashi a small smile, his dark eyes glinting mischievously. "She'll find out when she comes home."

Takashi could already picture the tantrum his mother would throw when she saw the room: she'd grit her teeth, her face contorting into a scowl as it gradually turned as red as a tomato. Then she'd go off like a bomb, her voice rising in pitch as she shouted furiously and her rage bursting forth like shrapnel, ripping your courage and confidence to shreds. It's not that she would be mad about the paint job; no, she would be pissed that her husband had made such a significant change to their house. She'd complain about everything reeking of paint for the next day or so, that the purple room looked out of place and that the house would be harder to sell once they were ready for retirement.

Carding a hand through his sweaty hair tiredly, Takashi laughed nervously, "She's not gonna like this, dad."

"Let her be mad. This isn't the first time I've ticked her off," his father sighed. "It's just a paint-job. She'll get over it in the next few days. Besides, I don't need her input on _everything_ I decide to do."

"You know she hates the color purple, right? I bet she's gonna hold a grudge for the next two weeks at least."

"It's not _purple._ It's _lavender_ , " Mari stated matter-of-factly and Takashi rolled his eyes. "And mommy won't hate it. Not after she sees this!"

Before her brother could question her, Mari hurried over to the light switch and flicked it off, casting the room into darkness once more. Takashi blinked several times, his eyes adjusting to the abrupt change in lighting, before looking up and gasping at what he saw. On the ceiling and along the top of the walls were softly glowing stars and other celestial objects, an entire piece of the universe hovering right above their heads. It looked so realistic and fantastical, it almost felt like they really were in space.

When Mari flipped the lights back on, she was grinning at Takashi proudly. "Pretty cool, right?" she giggled at his look of awe.

"That was amazing!" he exclaimed, looking between his sister and father in admiration. "It felt like I could reach out and touch the stars! How'd you guys do it?"

"We found a bunch of this glow-in-the-dark paint at the store and daddy painted all the stars n' stuff on the ceiling," Mari beamed.

"Dad, that's actually really impressive," Takashi complimented, turning to his father. "Since when are you a good painter?"

"Since today," Mr. Shirogane shrugged as if it were nothing. "I've been using photo references, but even with those it hasn't been easy. We had to wait until it got darker because the stuff goes on transparent in the light. I've been painting in the dark ever since the sun set."

Ah. So that explained why the lights had been turned off when Takashi had arrived. Next to him, Mari yawned quietly, prompting their father to glance at his watch.

"It's already almost nine," he announced. "How about you two go ahead and take your baths now. I'll clean up here and wait for your mother to come home."

"You sure you want to face her wrath alone?" Takashi asked half-jokingly, and his father just smiled.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," he assured him. "But Takashi, do you mind if Mariko slept in your room tonight? I'd rather not have her inhaling these paint fumes all throughout the night."

"I don't mind at all." Then turning to his sister, Takashi added, "Okay, Mari. Let's go get the futon ready."

The two hurried out of Mari's room and cleared a space on the floor of Takashi's bedroom. Opening the storage closet where the extra futons resided, they pulled one out and carefully laid it out on the floor.

"I am exhausted!" Mari announced, plopping onto the plush bedding and curling up into a ball. "I could fall asleep any minute…"

"Nice try, stinker," Takashi said, plucking her cap right off her head and tossing a clean towel into her face. "Go take a bath, you smell like paint."

"And you smell like sweat and B.O!" Mari retorted, scrambling to her feet and snatching her hat back. "What were you even doing today?"

"Just playing with some friends," he replied, cracking a smile as he watched Mari pick up her towel and begin to rummage through the storage closet in the hall for a washcloth.

"That must've been fun," she said lightly, and that same feeling of guilt he'd had earlier resurfaced.

"Hey," Takashi began gently, apologetically. "I'm sorry I haven't been spending more time with you lately. It's just…I really want to be able to get into the Garrison and—"

"It's okay," Mari giggled, returning to the room with a truthful grin on her face. "I don't mind. Ojiisan's been playing with me. And I get to spend all day with mommy and daddy on their days off."

Takashi blinked at her in surprise. "But—I mean, I feel like I've kinda been neglecting you this summer. Haven't you been lonely?"

"I guess?" she shrugged before sitting down on the futon once more. "A little bit, yeah. But…mommy said studying is also very important, especially when you have a dream. And your dream is to go to the Garrison and become a pilot, right?"

"Right," Takashi confirmed, crouching to join her on the floor. "And it's yours too, yeah?"

"Mhm," Mari nodded, smiling excitedly. "One day, I'm gonna get so close to the stars I can touch 'em. I wanna be able to go on space adventures with you, but we can't if neither of us works hard. I want you to get into the Garrison and I wanna get in too when I'm older, so we have to study lots and lots. That's why I don't mind if we can't play now cuz we'll get to have so much fun together in space someday!"

She was beaming so earnestly despite the subtle sadness behind her words, and Takashi's guilt only increased. God, what had he been _doing_ all summer? Studying like his life depended on it, neglecting his friends, depriving his sister of playtime and giving her that sort of mindset? He was thirteen, still just a kid! He should've been relaxing and enjoying his vacation to the fullest!

"That's an amazing dream," he said, smiling kindly. "I know it'll come true someday too, so I'll look forward to our future space adventures. But while studying _is_ important, we shouldn't be doing it all the time."

Mari tilted her head to the side and frowned at him in confusion. "But that's what you've been doing."

"Yeah, I know," Takashi grimaced. "But I made a mistake. Because I did that I wasn't able to play with you or my friends at all. And that made both of you guys sad, didn't it?"

"Uh huh," she drawled hesitantly, unsure of where this conversation was going.

"The point is, I shouldn't have been doing that, Mari," Takashi admitted. "And I don't want you to end up doing that either. There's more to life than just working and studying and worrying about the future. We…We have to focus on the present just as much and take time to relax and have fun. Sometimes we've just gotta enjoy life as it occurs, you know?"

"So…" Mari said slowly. "You want me to play and have fun just as much as I study?"

"Yeah. You've gotta balance the two equally," he said. "Does that make sense?"

"I think so," she nodded. "Sooooo does that mean you'll be able to play with me more this summer?"

"Mhm," Takashi chuckled. "I'll be all yours starting tomorrow."

"Really?!" his sister squealed, beginning to bounce up and down elatedly.

"Yep. But the deal's off if you don't hurry up and take your bath."

Mari yelped and nearly pushed him over as she made a break for the bathroom, leaving him laughing on the ground. She was so energetic and fiery; she definitely took after their mother.

Reclining on the futon, he stared up at the blank ceiling. He smiled as he was reminded of Mari's newly decorated room and he closed his eyes, trying to picture the galaxy that his father had so skillfully created. It was beautiful really, and he couldn't help but feel a bit envious of his sister who'd get to sleep under the stars every night.

But, he told himself, it was hopefully only a matter of time before he got to see the real thing. If everything went well and according to plan in the next several years, he'd be flying through the vastness of space in his own ship. And maybe even after that, he'd be completing missions with his own sister. But until then, he decided to focus more on the here and now, on being there for his friends and his family, especially for Mari. He couldn't wait for the day they'd both be able to reach out and touch the stars together.

* * *

** Please feel free to leave a comment/review down below! They're very much appreciated and they're very motivating! **


	5. Cadet Lunar

****Author's note:** Happy Birthday to Mariko today! Yay! :D

 ****I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender**

* * *

Takashi had never been so confused before in his entire life when he had woken up in a hospital bed with his parents and a doctor anxiously hovering over him. What was he doing there? Hadn't he and Mari been walking to the observatory? He could swear that's what he'd been doing just seconds ago. How'd he get into the hospital?

The doctor told him that he was incredibly lucky to be alive. He said that Takashi had been hit by a car while he and his sister were walking home, and it seemed that the head injury he had gained caused some memory loss. He would be able to go home in about a week.

"What about Mariko?" he had asked. "Is she all right?"  
His parents and the doctor had simply nodded. She was fine and at home with Ojiisan.

As Takashi's week in the hospital dragged on, he was visited daily by friends and family alike. His parents came everyday, and when Ojiisan visited, it was always with his mother while his father stayed at home with Mari. Takashi asked how she was doing and why she wasn't brought along to see him, but both of his parents always gave vague answers, replying with something along the lines of "She's doing all right, but she just wasn't feeling up to visiting today. Maybe tomorrow."

But the next thing Takashi knew, the week was up and he was being sent home. Mari hadn't visited him once throughout his entire hospitalization, and he was beginning to suspect that she wasn't as "all right" as his parents believed her to be. That's when it finally dawned on him: Mari had _seen_ him get hit by that car. She had witnessed something so mortifying, something so damn scarring at such a young age; she had no doubt been terrified beyond belief. There was no way in hell that Mari was just "fine"!

The entire car ride home, Takashi's heart was racing. What if Mari had been having nightmares about the accident? What if she needed therapy? What if she had been crying alone every night? What if she was crying right now? Dammit, he was so worried! He needed to see her, to tell her that he was okay.

As they pulled into the driveway, Takashi swallowed thickly, wanting so badly to bolt for the front door. But unable to do so with his injuries, he reluctantly let his father support him as he was carefully escorted into the house.

"Mari! Ojiisan! We're home!" Takashi announced loudly as he and his parents entered. The faint din of music was coming from within the living room on their left, and he waited hopefully for his sister to come running out to greet them. Instead, it was Ojiisan who rounded the corner to meet the trio.

"Welcome home, you three," he beamed softly. "How are you feeling, Takashi?"

"A lot better, thanks," Takashi smiled back half-heartedly. "Uh, where's Mari?"

"She and Kage have been watching television all morning," his grandfather chuckled, gesturing to the room he'd just emerged from. "She's watching some sort of anime again and it has her completely enthralled."

"Takashi, how about you go say hello to her," his father suggested. "Your mother and I will unpack your bag and get lunch started."

Mrs. Shirogane grimaced and narrowed her eyes at her husband in disagreement. "I'd really rather him go upstairs and rest," she said, her voice tightening ever so slightly. "I don't want Mariko riling him up and wearing him out on his first day back. The last thing we need is for him to somehow get injured again."

"He'll be _fine_." The subtle yet utterly chilling harshness in his father's tone took Takashi off guard—he'd never heard his father snap back at his mother like that. He watched as the couple glared at each other, a heavy tension hanging in the air around them. Had they gotten into some sort of nasty argument in the past week that he didn't know about?

Finally, his mother relented. "Fine," she tsked through clenched teeth before brushing past her husband and disappearing into the kitchen. Ojiisan sighed helplessly and patted his son on the shoulder before following after her.

"Did…you guys get into a fight or something?" Takashi hesitantly asked of his father once it was just the two of them standing in the hall.

"Something like that…But it's nothing you need to be concerned about," his father tried to assure him as he unconsciously carded a hand through his hair. Then forcing a smile, he nodded towards the living room. "Besides, you have someone else who needs your attention right now."

Takashi glanced back towards the living room and his father gave him a gently pat on the back before heading into the kitchen as well. Moving with a slight limp, Takashi slowly and silently entered the room, careful not to make any sudden and straining movements as he rounded the corner. And then there Mari was, sitting on the floor in front of the television with Kage the kitten nestled in her lap. She looked the same as when he'd last seen her, albeit a bit more tired. And the scabs on her legs and arms were definitely new. And there was one more thing out of place: where was the Garrison hat she'd worn almost everyday for a year now since Ojiisan had given it to her?

Mari seemed to ignore Takashi as he eased himself onto the ground beside her, not even bothering to glance up at him. Kage on the other hand wasn't as unresponsive and the little kitten mewed in excitement before leaping out of his sister's lap and snuggling up to him. Takashi gladly indulged the feline, stroking his sleek and soft black fur.

"I missed you too, boy," he smiled fondly as the cat purred in delight. "Has Mari been keeping you company?"

Kage meowed in response before curling up contentedly in his lap. Takashi chuckled lightly and cast a glance at Mari; she still had yet to say a single word or to even look at him for that matter. Was she waiting for a commercial break or something?

Takashi turned his attention to the television screen and immediately recognized the show as her favorite anime of all time, _Cadet Lunar_. He wasn't really into the show, but it did have its intriguing points, and he'd watched enough episodes with Mari to be familiar with the main characters and the general plot.

The anime centered around Tsukyo Usai, a cadet studying to be a space pilot. One day she meets a talking rabbit named Comet who gives her a magical pendant that enables her to transform into Cadet Lunar, a soldier fated to save her universe from evil beings. Along with her sidekick rabbit friend, Tsukyo is assisted in her quest to save the galaxy by four of her classmates, a pair of sentient fighter ships, and the mysterious hero known as Masquerade.

As the episode credits began to role, Takashi opened his mouth to speak, only to hesitate. What should he say exactly? Mari clearly didn't want to talk, but it still had to be done.

"So, is there a _Cadet Lunar_ marathon going on?" Takashi mentally slapped himself as soon as the words left his mouth. Really? _That's_ what he started off with?

"Uh huh," Mari muttered giving him the barest of nods and her eyes never leaving the screen. "They're playing episodes all week."

"Ooh that's exciting," Takashi tried, nudging her playfully in the ribs, but his sister immediately recoiled from his touch.

"You don't have to pretend to be interested," she said, throwing a glare in his direction. He'd never heard her sound so cold before and her usually bright and sparkling eyes were unnaturally dark. Deciding to back off a bit, Takashi was quiet and mulled over how to proceed, deep thought as he absentmindedly scratched Kage's belly.

When the catchy (if not a bit irritating) _Cadet Lunar_ opening began to play, indicating the start of another episode, Mari happily hummed along before scowling as she realized it was one of her least favorite episodes playing. Feeling slightly relieved, Takashi took the opportunity to ask another question.

"Where's your hat?" he ventured cautiously. "It's rare to see you without it on."

"Just didn't feel like wearing it today," she shrugged.

"You're not losing interest in the Garrison, are you?" he wondered half-jokingly, but she didn't seem to find it all that amusing.

"I'm _not_ ," she snapped curtly, frowning at him angrily before diverting her attention back to the screen.

Since when was she so defensive?

"Mari, can we please talk?" Takashi asked, done beating around the bush.

"About what?" was her mumbled reply.

"The car accident."

Mari stiffened and looked away, saying nothing at all and prompting Takashi to continue.

"I'm still a bit sore in a few places and it'll take some time for me to be back to my old self, but I promise you I'm perfectly fine now. I know what happened was really scary, and I'm sorry you had to go through that, but we're both safe now. I'm here for you, we'll be okay."

He reached out to hold her, to hug her and comfort her just like he did whenever she was feeling down. Mari had always sought him out to raise her spirits, so it took him completely by surprise when she shot to her feet and stepped away from him.

"No we're not!" she suddenly shouted, her hands curling into fists as she glowered at him. Her shoulders were shaking, her bottom lip quivering as fresh tears streamed down her reddened cheeks. "We're not! We're not okay, you big idiot!"

"I- _Idiot_?" was all Takashi could manage to stutter. Neither sibling had ever called each other names before and he was absolutely appalled. "M-Mari, we're all right—"

"No we're not!"

"What's going on in here?" Their mother had appeared from the kitchen, a dish towel still clenched in her hands, but Mari ignored her as she continued to scream.

"We're not okay! _You're_ not okay! And you're stupid if you think that you are!"

"Mariko, why are you yelling? You're causing a ruckus and stressing out your brother," their mother scolded, and the look of absolute hatred Mari sent her way was petrifying.

"Shut up!" she retorted and Takashi's mouth dropped opened in horror. Mrs. Shirogane went rigid and set her jaw, but she said nothing as her daughter continued, "Just shut up! I hate you!"

And before anyone could stop her, Mari ran from the room, pushing past their mother before stomping up the stairs and locking herself in her bedroom.

* * *

The next several weeks were rough for Takashi. On top of getting exhausted on a daily basis and taking all the medication the doctors had prescribed for him, Mari was avoiding him. It didn't help that she had begun taking martial arts classes and was gone for most of the afternoon, but even when she was home she purposely kept her distance from him. Whenever he entered a room she'd always scurry into a different one, and she used the same excuses of "I have to take a bath now" or "I'm tired so I'm going to bed" to worm her way out of conversations with him. During dinner she'd mostly talk to their father, sharing few words with their mother and refusing to even look at him.

"Mom, should we take Mari to a counseling?" Takashi asked one day while his sister was out.

His mother didn't even look up from her computer as she absentmindedly replied, "Why would she need that?"

Was she feigning ignorance about the obvious change in her daughter's demeanor, or had she really not noticed? Takashi suppressed the urge to face palm and replied, "Uh, because of the accident?"

"Oh, that. She'll be fine, Takashi. Don't worry about her," she distractedly waved the issue away. "Just give her some time, she'll get over it."

"Mom, it's been over a month now and she still won't even look at me," Takashi said, struggling to remain patient. "It's like she's scared to be around me."

She hummed in response but said nothing, prompting him to continue, "I think there's something wrong with her."

Mrs. Shirogane paused in her typing to cast her son a pointed look. "There is nothing wrong with—"

"Yes there is!" Takashi insisted. "She's only six years old, she's probably been scarred for life by what she saw! Don't tell me you haven't noticed how different she's been acting. Did you and dad even talk to her, try to comfort her after what happened?"

"Your father did, yes," his mother replied lightly, as if she were uninterested in the topic at hand.

"And you didn't?" Takashi raised an eyebrow. "You and Mari have been avoiding each other too lately now that I think about it."

"That girl doesn't want anything to do with me nowadays. It's best if I just stay away for now," she muttered bitterly and Takashi blinked in surprise.

"What?"

For a moment, he swore he saw guilt flash across his mother's features, but as soon as it had appeared it was gone. Frowning, his mother quickly turned back to her computer but made no indication that she was continuing with her work. "I suppose I got a bit… _overly emotional_ when you were hospitalized, and my reaction to it all scared Mariko," she admitted slowly. "If I had to guess, that's probably why she's steering clear of us."

Okay, so that explained why Mari was avoiding their mother. But why was she still trying to distance herself from him? Was she still shaken by the possibility of losing her brother? Did she just not believe that he was healed, that someone who had been hit by a car couldn't possibly be okay? That had to be it, right?

"Mom, how can I get Mari to talk to me again?" Takashi finally asked, desperate for guidance. "I'm so confused about what I should do."

His mother silent as she thought for moment. Then turning to him with a small smile on her face she said, " _Show_ Mariko that you're okay."

" _Show_ her?" Takashi repeated, frowning unsurely. How exactly was he supposed to do that without her running away?

But before he could question his mother's advice any further, he heard the front door open as Mari and his father entered the house.

"…and then Masquerade returned her pendant to her!" Mari was happily explaining. "He kinda scolded her for it and Cadet Lunar got really annoyed, but then he gave her a rose and then he disappeared into the night."

"He sounds like a mysterious gentleman," their father replied, and Takashi imagined that his sister was nodding vigorously in agreement.

"And there's a new episode that's on in…"—Mari gasped—" _Two minutes_?! Dad can I watch it now, please?"

"All right. But take a bath as soon as it's over."

"Yes! Thank you!"

There was a scuffling sound as she kicked off her shoes and scrambled into the living room, and a minute later, Takashi could hear the _Cadet Lunar_ opening begin to play.

"She was telling me all about last week's episode on the ride home," Mr. Shirogane chuckled as he entered the office and approached his wife and son. "She really likes that show, doesn't she?"

That's when a lightbulb went off in Takashi's head.

"That's it!" he abruptly exclaimed, causing both of his parents to jump slightly and give him confused looks.

"What's it?" his father inquired and his son grinned knowingly.

"I know exactly how to fix things between me and Mari."

* * *

It took Takashi two weeks to prepare, and after hours of research, planning, sewing, and convincing his friends to go along with his plan, everything was finally ready. With his new clothes covering his person and his character memorized, Takashi knocked on Mari's door early one Sunday morning.

"Mari, can I come in? It's time to get up," he announced, and he waited nervously for a response. He could hear his sister grumble and groan in response, followed by the shifting of blankets. Knowing her and how late she liked to sleep in, she was no doubt burrowing deeper under the covers. Grinning to himself, Takashi set his little surprise for her into action.

"Fighting for the sake of every being in the universe, the interstellar protector, CADET LUNAR! CADET, WHAT ARE YOU DOING FAST ASLEEP?!" Takashi mercilessly shouted in a deep tone as he slammed open her door and marched into the room.

Mari let out a shrill yelp and nearly fell out of her bed at the abrupt entrance, and when she looked up him, her mouth formed an 'O' of surprise. Standing in front of her wasn't her brother, but Masquerade himself, dressed in his black and midnight blue suit and his matching signature mask that was decorated with a moon and stars.

She was speechless, unsure of how to respond, and Takashi tried to hide his smile. Staying in character, he gave her an unamused look. "Unbelievable! The world needs saving and you're still sleeping the day away! And what's more, you lost your pendant. _AGAIN_!"

He presented her with a silver and blue crescent-shaped necklace, and Mari gasped in awe as he dropped the piece of jewelry into her hand.

"Oh my gosh! Takashi, where did you get this?! It looks exactly like Tsukyo's from the show!" she squealed in excitement as she scrambled to clip it around her neck.

"Who is this 'Takashi' you speak of? I go by no such name," Masquerade said, shrugging and shaking his head. "And Comet gave you that charm, remember?"

Actually, the pendant had been the only thing Takashi had to buy. It wasn't made out of real sapphire and silver or anything, but it hadn't been cheap either. He silently promised to himself that the necklace would be his sister's birthday AND Christmas gift from him this year.

Mari rolled her eyes but was grinning giddily nonetheless. "Okay, _Masquerade_ ," she giggled. "Thanks for returning my pendant. It looks beautiful!"

"You are quite welcome, Milady," he replied with a bow. "Now hurry, you must transform! We have a mission to complete."

"Transform?" she frowned, tilting her head to one side in confusion. "You mean get dressed? And what mission?"

"You mean you haven't heard?" Masquerade exclaimed. "The Four Celestial Emperors are wreaking havoc in the park!"

As if to prove his point, he pulled out his phone and brought up the live feed to show her. Four individuals dressed as the Four Celestial Emperors (who Mari could still easily identify as Takashi's friends from school despite their cool costumes) appeared on screen, each of them wielding sports equipment for weapons.

"Mari! Er, uh—uh…Cadet Lunar!" the Galaxy Emperor blurted out, clumsily adjusting his phone so she and Masquerade could get a better view of him and his comrades. "We challenge you to a battle!"

"Y-Yeah!" the Star Emperor—Empress, actually—nodded vigorously before raising her lacrosse stick in the air and striking a pose. "Come and fight us! Please."

"Don't say 'please' to the enemy!" the Sun Emperor scolded, nudging the Star Empress in the ribs and making her yelp.

"If you refuse, we're going to start destroying the playground equipment," the Meteorite Empress threatened, brandishing her metal baseball bat like a sword.

"And we're gonna start stealing all the candy from the babies here!" Sun Emperor pitched in.

"A-And stomping all the flowers and killing all the trees and shrubs!" Star Empress added.

"That's lame," Meteorite Empress muttered bluntly and Star Empress bristled.

"Well it was better than your suggestion of brutally murdering the squirrels and rabbits!" she hissed and Meteorite Empress huffed and rolled her eyes. "We can't say that to Mariko! She's only six!"

"Ahem. ANYWAYS!" Galaxy Emperor quickly intervened. "The point is, you have one hour to meet us at this park, Cadet Lunar. And if you refuse to fight us, we're going to destroy first this park and then the world!"

"See? We have to stop them!" Masquerade urged. "Come on, Cadet. Transform and let's go."

"Takashi, I-I don't know…" Mari admitted hesitantly, refusing to meet his gaze. "Aren't you busy?"

"Really now, why do you insist of calling me by that name?" he tsked. "Who is Takashi? It irks me that another man has caught so much of your attention."

"Stop worrying about your STUPID brother," Meteorite Empress piped up and Takashi's eye twitched involuntarily in annoyance. "He's fine. Just be glad that we didn't take him as our hostage instead of this little guy."

"Hostage?" Mari asked and Meteorite Empress nodded before Sun Emperor revealed a black and white furry mass resting it in the crook of his arm. "Is that…"—Mari frowned and squinted at the screen—"…Kage dressed as a bunny?"

"Oh no, they've captured Comet!" Masquerade gasped in mock surprise and Galaxy Emperor snickered.

"That's right! While your brother managed to escape our grasp, we managed to capture your precious sidekick instead!" he jeered. "If you don't meet our demands, this little cat—er, _rabbit_ will be the first to go!"

Comet mewed in alarm and tried to squirm out of Sun Emperor's hold, but his efforts were futile. "We'll see you in less than an hour, Cadet Lunar," Galaxy Emperor smirked before the screen went black.

"You heard those four fiends. Now transform and let's go!" Masquerade prompted, and before Mari could protest, he shoved an outfit into her arms and swiftly exited the room, shutting the door behind him so she could change. From the hallway, he could hear her sigh of confusion followed by a gasp of surprise.

"This is a Cadet Lunar dress!" she squealed, and there was the sound of rustling fabric as Mari shimmied out of her pajamas and donned the handmade cosplay.

When she stepped out into the hall, Takashi looked her over and nodded to himself in approval. He was pleased to see that the dress fit her, and he smiled at the fact that Mari had neatly pulled her hair up into pigtails that resembled Cadet Lunar's. It was all so adorable that Takashi was tempted to break character so he could hug her and take a picture. Instead, he gently took Mari by the hand and led her downstairs to the first floor, the two of them pausing in front of the door.

"Hurry and get your shoes on," he instructed as he slipped into his own sneakers. "We have no time to lose!"

When she had on a pair of sandals, the duo hurried outside and Takashi began to sprint like the wind down the sidewalk. It felt like it had been so long since he could run this fast without getting dizzy and having to worry about collapsing. He was perfectly healthy now, both mentally and physically, and he wanted Mari to understand that more than anything.

"W-Wait! Y-You're going too fast!" His sister was struggling to keep up in her dress and she was nearly half a block behind him. Takashi came to an abrupt halt and turned back around to meet her.

"Heh heh, sorry about that," he apologized sheepishly as he approached. "Guess I just got a bit excited."

Placing her hands on her knees and bending forwards, Mari panted heavily. "T-Takashi…what even…is all of… _this_?" she gasped between breaths. "Shouldn't you…be studying…or something?"

"Again with this 'Takashi'?" Masquerade sighed. "Isn't he your brother? Really now, I'm not him, Cadet."

"I'm being serious, stupid," Mari pouted, casting him and irritated look.

"And so am I," Masquerade smirked, booping her on the nose and causing her face to scrunch up. "Now, then. We'll never get to the park at this rate. Here, let's do _this_!"

She gasped as he effortlessly scooped her up and swung her over his back piggy-back style. Tightening his hold around her thighs, he advised, "You'd better hold on, Cadet!"

Obediently wrapping her arms around his neck, Mari rested her chin on his shoulder and began worriedly, "Takashi, I don't think is a good— _Eeep_!"

Her voice became lost in the wind as Masquerade took off down the street, effortlessly sprinting at full speed and nimbly dodging sign posts and passerby. Takashi's heart was racing as they cut through the air and Mari squealed in delight at the thrill of it all.

"It's like we're flying!" she cheered happily and Takashi grinned in success. This was the first time he'd heard her truly laugh in what felt like forever, and it came as such a relief for him to hear it again.

"B-But! I really don't think you should be doing this!" Mari started to scold, nearly shouting in his ear so he could hear her over the rush of the wind. "Doesn't it hurt? Carrying me and running like this? Y-You're gonna get injured again! And, and…"

Her voice trailed off and her grip on him loosened, as if she were preparing to slide off. But before she could begin to squirm out of his hold, Takashi slowed to a stop and gently deposited Mari on a nearby bench. Her eyebrows were knit together and she was staring at him worriedly as he knelt down in front of her. She was clenching the hem of her skirt so tightly her knuckles had begun to turn white.

Panting slightly, Takashi removed his mask and beamed at her before taking both of her hands in his own. "You need to stop worrying, Mariko," he laughed. "Nothing hurts at all, silly. In fact I've never felt better. This is the most exhilarated I've felt in a long, long time."

Mari blinked at him in surprise before grimacing and averting her gaze to her lap. "B-But…the accident. You were…and I…"

"It's been almost two months since the accident. I've completely healed since then," Takashi said gently. "I'm all better now, see?"

"But I…What happened to you, it…it was all…" Mari's lower lip was trembling now and her eyes were glistening with fresh tears. Leaning forward, Takashi wrapped her in a loving embrace, soothingly petting her head to calm her down.

"It's okay, Mari. It's okay, it's okay, I'm right here with you," he murmured as she began to cry quietly, nuzzling her face into his shoulder. "You must've been so scared when it happened. And I'm so, _so_ sorry you had to witness such an awful thing. But it's all over now, I've recovered. No permanent damage has been done at all. So please, Mari. Please don't avoid me anymore. I miss talking to you, playing with you. I want us to smile and laugh together just like we used to. So please…"

Despite having seen her everyday since he'd gotten home from the hospital, being ignored and avoided by his sister had hurt Takashi more than he'd realized. He didn't know when he had started crying himself, but he let the tears flow freely as he held his little sister close. When was the last time he had hugged her like this? He couldn't even remember. But right now, he didn't want to ever let her go. If he did, he felt like he'd lose her again.

"I'm s-s-sorry, T-Takashi," Mari bawled wrapping her arms around him as well. "I-I'm r-really s-sorry. P-Please don't cry."

At that, Takashi chuckled. "I should be saying that to you," he said. Then pulling away slightly, he touched his forehead against hers and he looked seriously into her eyes as he added, "But I'll stop crying if you do too."

Mari sniffled and rubbed her eyes, brushing away the last of her tears. She looked up at him hesitantly and whispered softly, "Are you…really okay?"

"I'm fine, really. I'm feeling one hundred percent up to snuff," Takashi assured her. "But you know what would make me feel even better than that?"

"What?" she ventured to ask, giving him a mildly suspicious look.

"That winning smile of yours," he said. "I rarely get to see it these days."

Mari frowned and squirmed uncomfortably. "I don't know if I can," she mumbled quietly, and a mischievous grin spread across Takashi's face.

"I guess I have no choice then," he said darkly. "Just know that you've brought this upon yourself, Mariko."  
His sister blanched, knowing exactly what he was about to do. She tried to push him away so she could escape, but it was too late. Takashi swooped in and began to mercilessly tickle her sides, causing her to spasm and squeal with laughter.

"S-Stop!" she gasped, trying to swat his hands away. "Heehee s-stop, Takashi! I c-can't breathe!"

Chuckling himself, Takashi halted his torture and sat back to let Mari catch her breath. A brilliant smile was lighting up her features and his heart almost melted at the sight of it. That was the most genuine smile he had seen from her in weeks.

"There it is," he said with a nod. "There's that smile."

"Are you feeling one hundred _fifty_ percent better now?" Mari inquired in between pants, beaming even more.

" _Two hundred_ percent, actually. I feel like I could take down an entire army," Takashi nodded and Mari giggled. "Speaking of which…Don't we have a park and a rabbit-cat to save?"

"Oh, yeah!" she exclaimed, as if she just remembered the reason behind their little outing. "We've gotta go save Kage—er, Comet!"

"Well then, Milady," Takashi said, donning his mask as he delved back into the character of Masquerade. "Shall we be off?"

He turned around and hunched over for her to climb on and Mari eagerly latched onto his back. "Let's go, Masquerade!" she ordered. "We've got a universe to save!"

"Yes, ma'am!" he replied, adjusting his hold on her before taking off down the sidewalk once more. And as they flew down the street, with Mari laughing uncontrollably as the wind whipped her pigtailed hair behind her, Takashi believed that things between them would turn out just fine.

* * *

Can you tell what anime I based Cadet Lunar off of? Lol xD

**Please feel free to leave a comment/review down below! They're much appreciated :D


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